What to include in your work-in-progress blurb?

Your blurb should be brief, 100-to-200-word overview of your story that presents the main character(s), the main conflict or story problem (protagonist’s goal), and what’s at stake. It is important not to give away the outcome of your story, for it will lessen my effectiveness to experience your book as a fresh reader on my first read.

• Protagonist: The blurb should be more about character—in particular, the protagonist—than plot. It should play on readers’ emotions, and much of that has to do with whether they can relate to the protagonist.

• Story Problem: What is wrong in the story world? What is your protagonist’s goal, and what obstacles are standing in the way? What is the conflict?

• What’s at stake: What does the protagonist have to gain by reaching the story goal, and what do they stand to lose by not achieving their goal? The higher the stakes, the more readers’ emotions are evoked, and the more invested they are in the story.

Make every word count—You don’t have many words to work with in your blurb, so make sure each one counts. Use strong, active verbs and exciting, descriptive adjectives. Make the words you choose serve more than one purpose whenever necessary.

Your w.i.p. blurb should let me know what your story is all about, without giving away the outcome. I will use it as a my guide to examine every scene in your story to make sure all are aligned and in sync.